Seadragon Bridge

A conceptual bridge derived from the anatomy of a sea dragon.

My sophomore first term project at Penn was focused on utilizing a biomorphic analogue to design a habitat or space. Many architectural and design forms take cues from the natural, and this project helped me analyze in a more systematic and methodical way. I observed a common sea dragon and analyzed its curvaceous form, which would be used as the starting point and basis for a bridge.

This case study is best presented on a computer. This project has been designed for educational purposes only and is not an actual planned structure.

The Common Seadragon

The Common / Weedy Seadragon is an aquatic animal found in southeastern coastal Australia, carrying unique characteristics such as appendages that protect them from the wild. The animal can be recognized by its distinguishing curvature, which call to mind sinuous curves. These curves were analyzed and used as the basis of this project.

This analysis served as the basis for a prototype model based on rings of different sizes.

The different sized rings reflect expansion and contraction in three dimensions.

Waterfall observatory

Marine observatory

With this analysis, I experimented with a number of spaces before I ultimately decided to pursue building a bridge. The concept behind the bridge was to enable people to have a number of elevation-based vantage points on a river that flows east-west, the direction of sunrise and sunset. People could move as close to the water as they wanted, even dipping their hands and feet in a river that would reflect the sunlight. For those who would prefer to just cross the river, a straight and level path would be provided.